You need a SkypeOut account to make outbound calls. The only annoyance I have with WM for Skype is that your *must* have the WM Skype Desktop Plug-in installed *and running* on your PC in order to establish a connection to the Skype network.

You need a SkypeOut account to make outbound calls. The only annoyance I have with WM for Skype is that your *must* have the WM Skype Desktop Plug-in installed *and running* on your PC in order to establish a connection to the Skype network.

I do have SkypeOut and yes I agree having to have the plugin is not ideal. Especially with skype on a laptop.

You need a SkypeOut account to make outbound calls. The only annoyance I have with WM for Skype is that your *must* have the WM Skype Desktop Plug-in installed *and running* on your PC in order to establish a connection to the Skype network.

You mean you need a SkypeOut account to chat with other online Skype users? If so it's going to be expensive to use it. And I have a SkypeOut account, but I still can't make calls.

You mean you need a SkypeOut account to chat with other online Skype users? If so it's going to be expensive to use it.

I'm trying to figure out how this makes sense as well. Maybe if you don't already have an all-inclusive phone plan or you call overseas frequently? I mean, as a TMO user you're paying between $60-$80 per month already. I don't get it.

Incidentally I believe the reason it's free inside the US is because Skype has a promotion on until the end of the year where you can get free SkypeOut calls to anywhere in the US for free. Don't think it's got anything to do with WM.

Has anyone else tried Webmessenger for Skype. I can get chats to work, but when trying to call i get "Call error: Failed"

Hermdog

I spoke to WebMessenger support. The issue was that you need to have your mobile # set like in the WebMessenger plugin in this format: +1 (for the US that is) and then your number. A typical US entry would be +12345678900. After I did that I was able to make calls to Skype buddies on my BB.

I spoke to WebMessenger support. The issue was that you need to have your mobile # set like in the WebMessenger plugin in this format: +1 (for the US that is) and then your number. A typical US entry would be +12345678900. After I did that I was able to make calls to Skype buddies on my BB.

//C

I too emailed them and received the same response. It works great. But as jddphd has said I too fail to see the value.

#1 you have to have a slave machine which is not always possible if you use a laptop.

#2 It still uses your cell minutes.

What I'd really like to see is a Skype for BB, but that would require a wifi enabled BB. Or could Skype use the existing internet connectivity of the BB?
Just thinking out loud.

So - did you do this as a test? or are you thinking about using Skype to call them? (and if so, why?)

I'm curious to understand if you're seeing value in it...

Well... you are correct that you would still use your cell minutes... But I am in Montreal and have friends and family in California... Since Skype has a promo going on till the end of the year where you can call anyone in NA for free... I can now use my cell phone to call Zkype users... No long distance charges!
This is where the real benefit is... In my opinion.

So - did you do this as a test? or are you thinking about using Skype to call them? (and if so, why?)

I'm curious to understand if you're seeing value in it...

I do a lot of calling internationally so any cheap way to call overseas is welcome on my BB. Current favorite is Mino which let me call most countries I need for 2c/minute. SkypeOut is free within the US right now and cheap overseas, so I will use whatever is cheaper.

The major problem with WebMessenger for Skype is that I need my Skype running somewhere to be acle to use it. As a laptop user that is almost a showstopper and another good reason to look at Mino.

We're trying to figure out what the value is or when we would use this as several people have brought up points that seem to suggest that, at best, it's duplicating features we already have in our phones. And one has pointed out that the requirement to have a slave machine seems prohibitive.

If you are able to, I'd encourage you to post to the forum directly. We have a number of vendors who do that and it tends to help people understand a product and its users.

Thanks!

- JD

ps: Just to be clear, I'm not associated with the management of that site - I'm just a user.

The WebMessenger client allows BlackBerry users to leverage the free or very low calling rates offered through their Skype accounts while they are way from their computers.

Very simply, if you have a wireless phone with a data plan, as with your BlackBerry, and you are in service coverage, you can see presence, IM, and call your contacts on one of the cheapest rate plans around, Skype’s. It does trigger a call back to your phone (if you configure your account that way) which may impact your cellular minutes plan, but you’re assured of getting virtually the lowest rates possible regardless of who you are actually trying to reach, whether they are on their cell phone, running Skype on their desktop, or calling someone’s landline in Greece.

Presence allows you to see if that contact is on-line and available. By just calling someone from your phone, you do not know if they are available and often you incur the time and cost of calling them only to get dumped into voice mail. It’s much quicker and easier to send a quick chat to see if they can talk. They respond when they can, you then click and call.

These benefits are also significantly magnified for those who need to do a quick conference call with a couple of colleagues, friends, or perhaps with a customer and a support representative back at the office. You can see them on-line, ask if they can do a quick call, then click on them and go.

Also, WebMessenger has been developing presence and mobile IM applications since 2000 and we are one of the original BlackBerry ISV Business Alliance partners. Our client applications and interconnectivity are robust across all carrier networks, whether you are using T-Mobile, Cingular, Verizon, etc.

To clarify on one earlier post, you do not need a SkypeOut account to chat, only to make phone calls.

We also understand that some customers will not be able to use this due to the requirement of having Skype running on your PC. We are planning to address this in upcoming versions of the product. For those of you who are able to keep Skype running, we encourage you to send all of your thoughts, comments, and questions on the use of the product directly to us at .

Thank you all for your interest in our product and for taking the time to post about us on the forum.

I have a key question: does Skype allow you to sign in in multiple computers? If it does, we can then have skype on ALL the time on desktop in the basement, and use it at the same time either on laptop or blackberry. If skype does not allow multiple login at the same time, then this webmessenger for blackberry is of very little use for me.

skype does allow multiple logins - that happens to me all the time when i have both my personal and work laptops out. i'm never quite sure how the routing happens though. sometimes i get messages in one, sometimes in another.

Does anyone know if the Skype version of WebMessenger works after the trial period? I sort of got the impression that the fee was for the other version that allowed all the IM accounts, and the Skype version would somehow keep working after the trial period was over, locking out only the IM accounts (MSN, AIM, etc).

I downloaded and installed the Skype version of WM, and now my trial is over and the whole thing has disconnected, incl from Skype. I just want to know if that's intentional, or do I need to fiddle with settings to get the Skype portion working again permanently? I don't need the other IM clients. I can get those through IM+ (and a better GUI, imo).

I just don't want to have to license WebMessenger and IM+ if I'm only using the Skype portion of WM, which the website *seems* to indicate is free, but I'm not sure. Maybe it's only free to licensed holders of the full version.

In fact, since Joe Naylor seems to be on this thread, I'll note that since you do such a good job of the Skype version, I'd be more than happy to make WM my only client if it did multiple activelogins per service (and kept the contact lists separate). That's how important that is to me. I'll find a diff way to handle my Skype contacts (such as only on my desktop), but I need those multiple (concurrent!) users while I'm wireless. I'm willing to put up with the poorer GUI (imo) if I could have all the rest.